Guide to Maintaining Your Certification

Suspension

If you fail to earn your required continuing education credits by the end of your five-year CE cycle, your credential will be suspended for up to one year. While suspended, your credential is not in good standing and you cannot use your certification title and number, you will not receive any publications nor will you be included in the ABC online directory.

Failure to maintain your certification may also have serious effects on your facility’s accreditation. You cannot independently provide direct patient care and/or supervise others in the provision of care if your certification is suspended. If you continue to work while suspended, you would be considered a Support Personnel staff member. The definition of Support Personnel can be found in the ABC Scope of Practice.

We will notify you of the deficient credits and the impending suspension. We also impose penalty credits if you fail to earn the minimum credits during your five-year CE cycle. Penalty credits are added to any delinquent credits and the total must be earned before suspension will be lifted.

Please refer to the credit requirements for your discipline to determine the number of penalty credits that will be applied. Your cycle will restart If your fees are paid (you are not suspended or revoked for nonpayment) and you have met your credit requirements. Your next cycle will be shortened by the amount of time it takes you to satisfy the credits. The deficient and penalty credits you earn while on suspension will not be applied to your next five-year cycle.

Reinstatement

Once you’ve satisfied both the penalty and deficient credits, you must remit any delinquent and current year’s annual renewal fees in order to regain all rights and benefits to your ABC certification title and number. You will receive a notice acknowledging your reinstatement along with a new time-limited certificate.

Revocation

In accordance with ABC’s reinstatement policies, if you fail to earn the required credits during the one-year suspension period, your certification will be revoked.

Appeals

If your certification has been suspended or revoked for failure to satisfy the continuing education requirements, you may appeal to the Continuing Education Committee. Appeals must be in writing, received within 30 calendar days from the date of the notification and include:

• Specific reason(s) for the appeal
• Evidence or other pertinent information refuting the original action
• Your signature if via mail or your email address of record if via email

Mail or email appeals correspondence to:

ABC Continuing Education Appeal                                                                                                                                330 John Carlyle St., Suite 210                                                                                                                                          Alexandria, VA 22314                                                                                                                                                        Email: ce@abcop.org

Appeal Decisions

The committee will notify you of their decision within 45 days of receipt of request. If you are not satisfied with the committee’s decision, you may submit a written appeal to the ABC Board of Directors within 14 days. You will be notified of the board’s decision within 45 days of receipt of your request. The Board of Director’s decision is final.

Revocation Reinstatement Policy

If your credential was revoked after the one-year suspension for failure to satisfy the continuing education requirements, your certification may only be reinstated by passing your discipline specific certification exam(s). You will not be required to meet the current educational and experiential requirements.

Once you pass the exam(s), you will receive a new certification number, certification date and CE expiration date.